Tuning means for stringed instruments



Nov; 22, 1960 D. OOPA 2,960,901

TUNING MEANS FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS Filed May 1, 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 15@ FIG. 1

FIG. 2.

IN VEN TOR.

DKJV/D OOPfl I A TTOQ/VEYS.

Nov. 22, 1960 TUNING Filed May 1, 1959 D. OOPA MEANS FOR STRINGEDINSTRUMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 i 3a J? 2% JNVENTOR. 0411/0 G I; ratestitted David Oopa, Quartier Manuhoe, Papeete, Tahiti, French PolynesiaFiled May 1, 1959, Ser. No. 810,295

Claims. (Cl. 84-306) This invention relates to musical instruments and,more specifically, the instant invention pertains to musical instrumentsof the string type having a tuning head and comprises a tuning devicefor the individual strings and which may be built into the instrument asit is being manufactured, or the same may be substituted for existingtuning devices on conventional tuning heads.

One of the primary objects of this invention is to provide a tuningdevice for a stringed instrument having a tuning head, the deviceeliminating the necessity for having a tuning key for each string of theinstrument and substitutes in lieu thereof a single key therefor.

Another object of this invention is to provide a tuning device forstringed instruments of the type generally referred to supra, wherein asingle tuning key for the several tuning mechanisms is employed, the keybeing mounted on the tuning head of the instrument for selectiveengagement with one of the tuning mechanisms.

This invention contemplates, as a still further object thereof, theprovision of a tuning device for stringed instruments, the device beingnon-complex in construction and assembly, inexpensive to manufacture andmaintain, and being durable in use.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will becomemore evident from a consideration of the following specification whenread in conjunction with the annexed drawings, in which:

Figure l is a top plan view of the tuning head of a conventional stringinstrument and illustrates the application of this invention thereto;

Figure 2 is a bottom plan view of the tuning head and tuning deviceillustrated in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevational view of the tuning head and tuning deviceillustrated in Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken substantiallyon the vertical plane of line 4-4 of Figure 3, looking in the directionof the arrows;

Figure 5 is an enlarged detail cross-sectional view taken substantiallyon the horizontal plane of line 55 of Figure 3, looking in the directionof the arrows; and

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the tuning device, per se.

Referring now more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10designates, in general, a stringed instrument such as, for example, aguitar having a conventional throat portion 12 across which transverselyextend a plurality of frets or stops designated at 14. The throat 12 isintegral with one end of a tuning head 16 of conventional design.

The tuning device constructed in accordance with the teachings of thisinvention is generally designated at 18 (see Figure 6) and comprises anelongated substantially hollow rectangular housing 20 which includes apair of oppositely disposed spaced and substantially parallel side walls22, 24, a bottom wall 26 and a top substantially rectangular plate 28having the same lengthas the side and bottom walls but being appreciablywider than the latter whereby a portion 28A projects laterally beyondatent ice the side Wall 22. The housing 20 is preferably integrallyformed of a single blank of metal and the upper end of the side wall 22is provided with a plurality of tongues 30 which extend through suitableapertures in the plate 28 and are peened thereover whereby therectangular configuration of the housing 20 is prevented fromdistortion. At spaced intervals along the outer marginal edge of theextension 28A is provided a plurality of groups of openings designatedat 32 and 34, respectively, to which further reference will be madebelow. Disposed Within the housing 20 for longitudinal reciprocationtherein is a substantially rectangular block or carriage 36 having aside 38 thereof normally engaging the adjacent side of the side wall 24.The side wall 24 is formed with a longitudinally extending slot 40through which extend headed screws 42 which also extend through thecarriage 36 and are secured thereto as by nuts 44. Behind the heads 46of the screws 42 are placed washers 48 which span the slot 40. It isthus seen that the carriage 36 may reciprocate within the housing 20 adistance equal to the distance between the remote ends of the slot 40.

Extending inwardly from the other side 50 of the carriage 36 is a recess52 intermediate the ends thereof, the recess comp ising, as will be seenbelow, a spring seat. The recess 50 is in open communication with acylindrical passage 53 which extends transversely of the carriage, therecess 50 and passage 53 being adapted to receive therein the shank 54of a tuning key 56 having an enlarged manually operated head 58 at theouter end thereof. The other or inner end of the shank 54 terminates inan outwardly extending radial flange 60,

A helicoidal spring 62 encompasses the shank 54 with one end thereofabutting against the inner end of the recess 52 and its other endengaging the flange 60 whereby the key 56 is constantly biased formovement in a direction towards the side wall 22.

To serve a function to be described, a substantially cylindrical socket64 extends inwardly from the inner end of the shank 54 and one or morekeyways (not shown) extend axially thereof.

At longitudinally spaced intervals the etxension 28A of the plate 28 isprovided with depending opposed pairs of bearing brackets 66, 68 and 70which rotatably support therein, respectively, worm gears 72, 74 and 76.

As is seen in the drawings, tuning string shafts 78. and 82 projectupwardly through the extension plate 28A, the shafts having enlargedbosses 84 (only one being shown) engaging the underside of the extensionplate 28A. Integral with the bosses 84 and depending therefrom aresprocket gears 86, 88 and 90, these gears being permanently in mesh withthe worm gears 72, 74 and 76, respectively. From the drawings it is seenthat the outer ends of the worm gear shafts 92, 94, 96 are provided withdiametrically opposed laterally extending keys 98, 100, and 102,respectively, and that these ends are coaxially aligned, respectively,with spaced apertures 103 formed in the side wall 22.

The shafts 78. 80 and 82 extend transversely through suitable bores 104adjacent each longitudinal marginal edge of the head 16 and arerotatable therein, and for tuning purposes the upper ends of the shaftsare provided with diametrically extending openings 106 adjacent theirrespective upper ends to receive therein adjacent ends of the stringsdesignated at 108, and the device 18 is secured to the underside of thehead 16 as by screws which extend through the openings 32.

With the tuning devices connected and assembled with the head 16 in themanner described, the tuning of individual ones of the strings 108 maybe easily achieved. The user merely grasps the keyhead 58 and pulls thesame outwardly in the direction of the arrow, as illustrated in Figure4, against the tension of the spring 62 until the flange 60 is drawnthrough one of the apertures 103. Thereafter, the carriage 36 is slidtowards the selected one of the shafts 92, 94 or 96 and the shank 54 isthen aligned therewith and with the aperture 103 associated with theshaft. The keyhead 58 is then released to permit the shank 54 to move,under the influence of the spring, through the aperture 103 towards theselected one of the shafts 92, 94 or 96, for example, shaft 92, andreceives the keyed end of the shaft 92 in the recess 94. The keyhead 58is then turned in a clockwise or counterclockwise direction causing theworm gear 72 to rotate and, since the gear 72 is in mesh with thesprocket gear 86, the latter will also rotate. Now since the sprocketgear 86 is connected with the shaft 78, it too will rotate causing thetension on the spring 108 Wound thereon to increase or decrease untilthe desired tuning frequency is obtained. This process is repeated untilall of the strings 108 are properly tuned.

Since the shank 54 of the key 56 carried on the carriage36 extendsthrough the slot 40, the carriage is free to reciprocate within thehousing 20 the shank 54 may be selectively engaged and disengaged fromany selected one of the shafts 92, 94 or 96. In the embodiment of theinvention herein illustrated, two of the tuning devices 18 are shown,the devices being identically constructed and are connected to oppositesides of the head 16 to accommodate the fixed strings of the musicalinstrument.

Having described and illustrated one embodiment of this invention indetail, it will be understood that the same is offered merely by way ofexample, and that the instant invention is to be limited only by thescope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A tuning device for a stringed instrument having a tuning head, saiddevice comprising an elongated housing secured to said head and having acarriage mounted for reciprocation therein, a plurality of tuning shaftsrotatably mounted on said head, means for connecting one end of one ofsaid strings, respectively, with one of said tuning shafts for windingor unwinding thereon, means connected in driving relation with respectto said shafts for rotating each of said shafts independently, one fromanother, and means on said carriage for selectively engaging a selectedone of said last named means to drive the same. 7

2. A tuning device for a stringed instrument having a tuning head, saiddevice comprising an elongated housing secured to said head and having acarriage mounted for reciprocation therein, key means mounted forreciprocation on said carriage in a direction transverse to its path ofmovement, a plurality of tuning shafts rotatably mounted on said head,means for connecting one end of one of said strings, respectively, withone of said shafts for winding or unwinding said one string thereon,means for rotating each of said shafts independently of one another,said means comprising a sprocket gear fixedly secured to one end of eachof said shafts, a spur gear supported on said housing and constantly inmesh with said sprocket gear, there being one worm gear for each of saidsprocket gears, each of said worm gears being supported on a worm gearshaft having an extension, and said carriage being reciprocable withinsaid housing to effect frictional engagement of said key with a selectedone of said shaft extensions, whereby, rotation of said key in aclockwise or counterclockwise direction will impart to said tuningshafts rotation in the same directions.

3. A tuning device for a stringed instrument having a tuning head, saiddevice comprising'an elongated housing having a substantiallyrectangular configuration and including a pair of oppositely disposedlaterally spaced and substantially parallel side walls, a bottom wall,and a plate vertically spaced from and parallel to said bottom wall,said plate spanning said side walls and having an extension thereofprojecting laterally beyond one of said side walls, means for connectingsaid extension to said tuning head, a tuning shaft for each string ofsaid instrument, each of said tuning shafts extending through saidextension and said head and being rotatably mounted therein, each ofsaid shafts adjacent said extension having a sprocket gear fixedlysecured thereto for rotation therewith, a worm gear for each of saidsprocket gears, means for supporting said worm gears on said extension,said worm gears being constantly meshed with their respective associatedsprocket gear, each of said Worm gears having an extension shaft at oneof their respective ends, a carriage mounted for reciprocation withinsaid housing, said carriage comprising a substantially rectangular blockhaving a side thereof in sliding engagement with the other of said sidewalls, said other of said side walls having a longitudinally extendinggroove formed therein, a tuning key having a shank, said shank extendingthrough said slot and through said carriage, said one side wall having aplurality of apertures extending transversely therethrough and aligned,respectively, with each of said shaft extensions, said shank having anend portion thereof extendable through a selected one of said aperturesin said side wall for releasable engagement with said selected one ofsaid shaft extensions, whereby rotation of said key will effectrotationof one of said tuning shafts.

4. A tuning device for a stringed instrument having a tuning head, saiddevice comprising an elongated housing including a pair of oppositelydisposed laterally spaced and substantially parallel elongated sidewalls, a bottom wall, and a plate spanning said side walls in spacedparallel relation relative to said bottom wall and having an extensionprojecting laterally beyond one of said side walls, said one side wallhaving a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings formed therein,means for connecting said extension of said plate to said tuning headadjacent a side thereof, said other of said side walls having anelongated slot formed therein, a tuning shaft for each string of saidinstrument, each of said tuning shafts having an end thereof projectingthrough said extension and said tuning head and projecting from theother side thereof, the other end of each of said tuning shafts havingan enlarged boss formed thereon for'engagement against said extension,each of said bosses having a sprocket gear integrally formed therewith,a plurality of pairs of brackets fixedly secured to said extension andprojecting laterally therefrom, each pair of brackets being disposedadjacent one side of each of said sprocket gears, a worm gear eachhaving a shaft rotatably supported between each pair of said bracketsand with said Worm gear constantly in mesh with said sprocket gears,each of said shafts of said worm gears having integrally formedextensions, each of said shaft extensions being aligned, respectively,with one of said apertures formed in said one side wall, a carriagemounted for reciprocation within said housing, said carriage beingsubstantially rectangular in configuration and having 'a side thereofengaging against the other of said side walls, an elongated tuning keyhaving a shank, said shank extending through said slot and through saidcarriage for reciprocation in a direction transverse to the path ofmovement of said carriage, said tuning key having an enlarged headintegrally formed therewith adjacent one of its ends, the other end ofsaid shank having a socket formed therein, said carriage beingreciprocable within said housing whereby said shank may be aligned witha selected one of said shaft extensions to permit engagement of thelatter within the former whereby rotation of said head will effectrotation of said selected one of said tuning shafts.

5. A tuning device for a stringed instrument as defined in claim 4, andsaid carriage having a recess formed therein and surrounding a portionof said shank, said shank having a radial collar at the'other end'thereof, and a helicoidal spring surrounding said shank and having anend thereof engaging the inner end of said recess, and the other endthereof abutting against said collar,

5 whereby said key is constantly biased for movement in 713,390 adirection towards said shaft extensions. 2,104,995 2,128,460 ReferencesCited in the file of this patent 2,615,360

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 416,715 Cubley Dec. 10, 1889 14,808 657,493 LangSept. 4, 1900 508,395

6 Brandt Nov. 11, 1902 Hutcheson Jan. 11, 1938 Harlin Aug. 30, 1938 HawyOct. 28, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain 1898 Italy Jan. 7, 1955

